Identifying Gifted Students

In class we have been discussing standardized testing and recently the topic of gifted and talented students came up. Too many schools rely solely on test results to identify these students. I found an article written by Robert J. Sternberg  (http://trib.com/opinion/columns/diverse-ways-of-identifying-gifted-students/article_c129d14c-a949-5ab4-bfe2-6b8af6661e7b.html) that argues against this procedure. I agree that talent comes in so many diverse ways; analytically, creatively, practically, ethically, etc. A single standardized test result cannot show anywhere near close to the full range of skills a child is capable of possessing in the classroom or outside of it. I also believe there is too much error in testing, especially for kids. The younger a child is, the less experience they have with test taking and dealing with the anxiety that comes with it. This means the judgments made from test scores become less reliable as we test younger and younger students. I also don’t think it makes sense for a child to be assessed once a year or less to determine if they are gifted. Children are dynamic in their development and excel at different rates; some early then not at all and some late and continue on. We must find broader models to identify students as gifted or talented.  We need to look at “multiple intelligences” and this includes: “linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalist, interpersonal, and intrapersonal”. We should also pay attention to above-average ability, creativity, and motivation.